Brotherhood
by BethGisborne
Summary: What happens after one of their own returns hurt? Better yet what happens after someone gets seriously hurt for the first time? The thoughts of the Seven on such an event. All Seven old west style, say about six months into their venture. Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a thought that ran through my head. What happens after someone gets hurt, what do the others go through? No I don't own them or they'd been around for ten years and still kicking. Please review and best wishes.**

Ezra sat in the saloon shuffling his deck of cards, yet his mind was not on what his hands were doing but what had happened over the past week. Chris had sent him and Vin on an errand for the Judge. They'd spent the night in a local town, instead of playing the tables Ezra had opted to stay at the hotel with the tracker, instead enjoying their game of chances, which amounted to matchsticks.

On their journey home however a man claimed that Ezra had in some way cheated him out of money and no arguing in the world would change his mind. In order to save the gambler Vin had stepped into the path of a bullet meant for Ezra. Ezra had struggled for the next day and a half to get Vin back to Nathan in plenty of time before he either bled to death or died from infection. The gambler had been forced to remove the bullet on the trail and had been in a panic ever since that he might have done more damage than good.

When he returned the rest of the seven had tried to let him know that he had actually saved the man. But Ezra had refused to leave the clinic until Vin was over the fever and able to move about some with help of Ezra or Chris.

Ezra took a deep breath as he reshuffled the cards in his hands again, he saw Chris take a seat to his right and waited for him to comment. "You should be sleeping Ezra you haven't gotten any since you got back. Won't do you any good to get sick."

"I suppose."

"Want to talk?" Ezra didn't look at him. "Vin told you to stop blaming yourself for this. You'd do the same for him that is what friends do Ezra." Chris waited excepting the drink that the gambler placed in front of him.

"I'm still not used to it Chris." The gambler said softly. "No one before has ever been willing to do what Vin did."

"Scary ain't it?" Chris said tossing back the drink.

"Yes it is." Ezra swallowed his whisky in one gulp. "When I realized why he did it all I could think was I was going to let him down. That he was going to die because of me." Ezra swallowed another drink. "I have never had anyone care before whether or not I lived. I finally found someplace I could call home. A place that I had friends who truly were there for me. Who were more liker brothers and I was watching it all fade away. I knew you all would blame me. That in some way it was my fault and I was going to lose everything I had come to love." He downed a third drink and reached for another when Chris pulled it away.

Chris was stunned by the honesty from the gambler who usually kept things locked away in his own head, unless he talked to Vin. The two men had striked up an unusual relationship, now Chris figured it was because they were so much alike. They were friends they all were but in situations like now Chris realized that in a little over six months the seven men had grown a bond, a brotherhood.

Chris toyed with his glass. "You're right Ezra I would have been." He saw the pain on the gamblers face. "IF. You hadn't done what you did. But I've always known you would be there Ezra I've never doubted you." He saw relief spread across the man's face. "Nathan's letting Vin out today. He wants to see that you're alright." Ezra nodded.

At that moment Vin slowly shuffled into the saloon and made his way towards them, rolling his eyes as Nathan hovered. He took the chair to Ezra's left leaving his back to the door, Ezra looked surprised at the Tracker. "Hey Ez you doing alright?"

"I am now Vin."

Vin nodded extending his hand to the man. "I want to say thanks again."

"I would do it any time Vin without a thanks." The gambler went to except the hand but instead Vin took his forearm in the similar clasp he only held for Chris. Ezra looked up surprised at Vin and saw the grin and nodded, the others had gathered. "Figured Ez that we might as well be brothers seen as how we bled together the other day." Ezra narrowed his eyes at the tracker.

"I remember you bleeding my friend but I certainly did not." He tried to ward of Nathan who suddenly appeared behind him.

"I remember you cursing about your arm or something." Vin said scratching his chin.

"I said my arm could no longer take carrying you and we need to stop. Any blood you saw was your own I assure you Mr. Tanner."

Vin gingerly shifted positions. "Now I'm sure I saw you trying to bandage your arm while I was supposed to be asleep."

"You were delirious Mr. Tanner." Ezra's voice had dropped glaring at the tracker who was grinning.

"Nope not likely not yet any way. That why you've kept that right arm of yours away from Nathan and you kept rubbing it while you were sitting with me."

"Mr Tanner." Ezra yelped as Nathan grabbed his upper arm.

"Ezra Standish what is he talking about."

"Mr. Jackson. Nathan you know very well."

'That you'll hide any injury in order to save one of us I know. Clinic."

"I am perfectly capable of."

"Walking on your own brother?" Josiah asked grinning.

Ezra glared at them waving away Nathan's hand on his forehead. "You have a start of a fever Ezra."

"I would prefer to stay here if you don't mind Mr. Jackson."

"I do." Chris said standing. "I want you two back to the clinic and you." He pointed to Ezra who was now pouting. "To let us take care of you till Nathan says other wise."

Ezra rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well at least now I'll have a cell mate." Vin said with a grin as Josiah helped him stand, and Chris sat Ezra's hat on his head.

"Why don't you admit Ezra that you're hurt and sick?" Chris asked quietly as they trooped over to the clinic.

"Because Mr. Larabee I forgot." Chris nodded with a grin as the gambler began to shuffle a bit.

"Well now you don't have to. Looks like it's good timing too."


	2. Chapter 2

Vin slowly stood up from the cot in the clinic and shuffled over to where the gambler lay. Vin shook his head as he replaced the coverings over the sleeping man and checked for a fever. Carefully he placed a wet rag on his forehead before taking a seat beside him. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Vin took a deep breath. "I feel like I should be here Chris not laying on my backside."

Chris pulled a chair over to him and sat beside him. "You need to rest Vin. It has only been a couple of days since you were in his position." Chris leaned back Vin nodded but made no move to leave. "Want to talk?"

"He got shot Chris because of a stupid man who'd had to much to drink. He put my needs above his and now is laying here sick because he was to stubborn to let anyone know he was hurt."

Chris scratched his chin. "Sounds familiar to me. Oh I know where I've heard it before I believe a man I know and call a brother of mine does it to me all the time. Oh wait all six of you do. And I have too." Chris crossed his arms over his chest. "We each have done it sometime Vin over these past six months at some point put the others before ourselves. Didn't you when you took the bullet for him?"

Vin nodded with a sigh. "It's still just all new Chris. With you it was just simple to trust I can't explain it."

"I know." Chris's mind flashed back to their first meeting in the street trying to save Nathan.

"The others it's just taken a little longer I guess. Ez I always knew he had it in him if he just let it happen."

"Then what is the matter?"

"I thought I was going to lose it without getting to say goodbye first. That I wasn't going to get to come to the first place I've been able to call home in a long time. To my family."

Chris nodded it was becoming apparent that this incident with the two men was bringing to light new feelings the group had towards being a group. "I ain't had a family Chris since I was five." Vin said quietly. "Most people I worked with wanted to save themselves before helping me. I'm used to patching myself up and hiding out until I can walk on my own two feet."

Chris put a hand on Vin's shoulder. "I don't think any of us are quiet used to it yet."

Vin nodded. "I remember seeing his face Chris. The pure panic written all over it. I tried I really did to keep him from blaming himself. That what ever happened it wasn't his fault and he did his best. I feel like I let him down Chris. Because I couldn't help him like he helped me. I should have been watching his back more carefully."

"Answer me this. Did you kill the man or did he?"

"I honestly don't know Chris. I hurt so bad I could barely see I just knew I had to protect Ezra."

"According to Ezra when you went down you were out." Vin nodded. "Seems he was watching your back. And you did watch his or he'd be the one possibly dead."

"He ain't that far from it Chris. You heard Nathan."

"Yeah he's really sick Vin. That shot was bad. Luckily Nathan said it'll run it's course without any permanent damage other than a scar."

Vin looked at Chris. "He blames me Chris."

"Vin." Chris took a deep breath. "He blames himself for what happened. He was afraid that it would cause him to lose his family. We are his family Vin. We all are family and nothing will change that."

"You mean he has been blaming himself for me getting shot?" Vin said surprised looking between the sleeping gambler and Chris.

"Yep."

"But I'm the one who walked out in front of the bullet."

"But it was meant for him."

Vin nodded finally understanding. "That was why he was here the whole time ignoring his arm." Chris nodded.

"He was worried about you. I heard JD say something before you left that we've become like brothers. And that is exactly what has happened."

Vin watched the gambler as he began to mumble and move about the bed. Vin grabbed his arm in the forearm grasp and watched as Ezra calmed. "Relax Ez I'm here to watch your back." A small smile played across the ill gamblers face. "I guess Josiah's right constantly calling us Brother then. Right brother?"

Vin grinned at Larabee. "Don't push it junior. I'm the eldest means I get to pick the punishment."

Vin laughed then winced as it pulled on his broken ribs. "We're an interesting group ain't we? I mean a gambler, an ex preacher, a ladies man, a healer, a green horn, and a mad at the world gunslinger. Who'd a thought?"

"You forgot an arrogant Texas sharpshooter among other things."

"Ain't forgot just didn't want to be arrogant." Vin grinned at him.

"Go get some rest. Ezra's sleeping alright."

Vin looked doubtful. "I don't know Chris."

"Listen if I need to I'll get you. But you need to rest too."

Vin nodded; "Listen Ez I gotta go. Chris will watch for ya till I get back." Vin squeezed Ezra's hand before slowly shuffling back to bed. Chris watched as the tracker finally fell asleep, he shook his head he wondered what he had gotten himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

Chris stretched out his legs as he sat between Vin and Ezra and watched both men sleep. Vin finally seemed to be resting peacefully, Chris was grateful that Vin had finally gotten well enough that a fever was nothing to worry about. However Ezra had hidden from everyone including himself that he was hurt and ill. So now they need to watch over another of their own.

Chris watched as the gambler slept under a heavy dose of laudanum from Nathan. At first Chris had not liked the man especially when he went to leave them at the Seminole Village. But in the past six months he had proven himself more than once, to where now Chris liked the man.

Heck if Chris was truthful he really hadn't cared for any of them except for Vin. And he couldn't explain why but he was grateful for it. He was grateful to the group of herders that had decided to lynch Nathan, or who knows where any of them would have been at that moment.

The past six months though his whole outlook on the group and life had changed. He was glad for JD's constant talking and trying to teach the kid what life was really like without destroying some of his innocence in the process. He'd fallen back into the friendship with Buck after working a few kinks out at the beginning it was almost like old times not quiet but almost, they both could live with it.

Josiah was complex in many ways but he found himself often going to talk to the older man when he needed advice, especially about one of the other seven. He found Nathan to be the one in the group that most often kept the level head, and he enjoyed the conversations with the man. Ezra, well Ezra had been an enigma from the start. He had kept everyone at arms length for the first few weeks. Then after he lost the saloon he and Vin had been spending a great deal of time together, and a friendship had been born that in all honesty Chris had been jealous of.

With Vin everything just clicked, they didn't need words to communicate. In fact with Vin it was easier to live with his grief knowing that he had a friend that understood no matter what. Josiah had once said it was like they were brothers separated unknown to the others. Maybe that was true he didn't know or care, he just knew he needed Vin just like he needed the others only more so.

When he had allowed them to come into his life and break down the walls he didn't know. Or when he had started to want to live again he wasn't sure. But it felt good, and he was going to make sure they staid whole if he had to shoot them to do it.


	4. Chapter 4

Josiah sat quietly in the church thinking about the past week. The foundation of their group had been tested, when the gambler had returned with a very injured and sick Vin. True they each had been hurt once in the past six months but it had never been so serious. He had watched as not only Chris but Ezra struggled to come to terms with what had happened and how close they had come to losing Vin. Now they all waited to see how Ezra was doing. Nathan had said they were lucky Vin had said something when he did or it might have been worse. A slight infection and a bullet wound that needed stitching Ezra had been lucky.

However it had shaken Josiah to his core. He had at some point adopted the quiet Southerner as his son. Even before he had met Ezra's mother, even before he thought that something was wrong with the man at the table.

Josiah shifted his position on the pew. He wasn't sure when he had started looking at Four Corners as home. Perhaps it had been shortly after the Seminole Village and Nathan had to keep him to watch. Or when Chris had offered him that job, and it had been taken away and they all came back together to save the town. He didn't know he just knew he liked it.

He took a drink from the flask Ezra had given him as an early birthday present. He new the gambler kept his filled with whisky, Josiah had kept his filled with water. As he sat there his thoughts drifted off to each of the men how they came to mean so much to him. Though Ezra a little more. He reminded Josiah of the son he never had, because his wife had passed away before they're first child was born. He knew the gambler didn't have a good childhood, neither did Vin for that matter. So it amazed him that of all of them Vin had seemed to be the one to crack Ezra's shell first, and the usually quiet southerner hadn't seemed to mind.

As the oldest of the group Josiah had the experience to see what was really happening to them all. They were slowly forging a bond that went beyond their work, and well beyond their friendship. Their past had joined them together forging a bond so strong nothing would break it but one of them. They were an odd group, which caused Josiah to laugh.

Odd indeed but they all fit perfectly with one another. They all had seemed to split up in twos as being the closest to each other. Ezra at first had seemed happy in the prospect of being the loner. However Vin had made it his job to include him and he had and it worked. Ezra no longer staid by himself as much, readily agreeing to games without money, or taking an extra turn at a watch. He had even agreed to a fishing trip with JD even though he complained about the need to sleep on the ground.

Josiah raised his flask towards the clinic before calling it a night. It was wonderful to finally have a family again, to have people to care and to care for.


	5. Chapter 5

Buck sat outside the jail drinking a cup of coffee. He could hear JD moving around inside, most likely either going through the wanted posters or reading the latest dime novel that Ezra had sent away for him for. No doubt he was trying to burn of some nervous energy, the kid always got like that when one of them was hurt.

Buck took another drink as he looked towards the clinic and saw one of the lights still one. Something Nathan had started to do when any of them were hurt incase one of the others wanted to come and visit. Buck thought he'd go and relieve Chris after a spell and sit with the terrible twins as Vin and Ezra had started to be called. They both had a vicious streak a mild wide in them and when they were paired together be it outlaw or one of the others watch out. What one didn't come up with the other one would.

His mind drifted to when they saw Ezra frantically riding into town with the limp tracker in front of him. Ezra could barely stand on his own feet but refused to leave the clinic or his friend until he was practically shoved out the door by Nathan when Vin was finally able to move on his own. No one had noticed Ezra's behavior, heck they all had been that way one time or another. But for some reason his selfless act had not surprised the ladies man. Heck, he would have been more surprised if it hadn't happened.

Buck shook his head. The whole group had become a family, he was grateful for it. Especially when he saw Chris finally willing to live again. Buck would do anything in his power to keep that going, to protect it and it looked like he didn't need to work to hard. Their contract had been up long ago but none of them was willing to walk away. They each needed the other and they fed off of it. That was fine by Buck.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard a curse from JD and grinned. The kid had probably dropped something again. If someone had walked up to him seven months before and said that he would be attached to six misfit men, who were nothing alike and protect a town, as well as find a family he would have laughed and said you had to much to drink. He didn't even think that at first he was going to like the kid. But he did.

He Buck Wilmington the proclaimed ladies man, needed six men to make him feel whole, and loved. He needed his family. They needed him no matter what they said. He smiled into his coffee. Yep it was nice to be a family once again.

Perhaps he should go visit Miss Daisy, grinning Buck sat aside his coffee and got up to leave.


	6. Chapter 6

JD looked up from his novel as Buck walked in. "Hey Kid I'm going to go check on Miss Daisy's place. Make sure that no one has stolen any more of her chickens."

JD rolled his eyes the day before Vin and Ezra left, Vin had caught the fox responsible for the stolen poultry. "Right Buck." JD waved him off. He pretended to read until he heard Buck's steps disappear. JD sighed with relief as he sat aside the book and looked around the empty jail. The events of the past week were slowly catching up to the sheriff. He had to much energy to burn all week, running around trying to help with Vin worrying that his new found family was going to slowly roll away. But everything was back to normal for the most part. He hated it every time one of them came back hurt, to many memories would show back up.

He knew from the time Chris allowed him to stay at the village that he had found his family. It had been threatened a few times but they always stuck it out together to the point where if one left they all did and went together. Heck they moved as one for the most part, never really needing to communicate. Heck even Chris was their leader even though JD really had the badge and he was fine with that, he hated the thing but knew he had to keep it to keep the peacekeepers.

Even though he and Buck had initially clashed he knew it was because Buck wanted to protect him and make sure he survived out there. He willingly allowed them to call him Kid, Vin and Chris called him that but didn't treat him like such. Even Ezra was patent with his questions and always gave him an honest answer if there was one. He never doubted any of them from the first moment. He was glad they all finally had come to the same point he had.

He'd seen it coming, the events of the past week had just finished the forging. He knew that Chris and Vin had a special bond, sometimes one that was annoying when they talked without talking. But he saw Ezra soon join the group at least with Vin, and he could see the others were beginning to also. Yep they needed each other. When one was off they all were and they worked to get them back level. Like Josiah constantly trying to get the church fixed, they worked to be a family. They didn't have to try very hard.

JD tossed the novel into the bottom of the drawer and pulled out the Steele novel "The Magnificent Seven" he chuckled and flipped through the pages. Soon his chin rested on his chest as he dreamed of another adventure they'd go on as one.


	7. Chapter 7

Nathan finished rolling the final bandages and put them away on the shelf. He peeked inside the room and found both Ezra and Vin were sound asleep, and Chris was asleep in a chair between the two of them. Nathan shook his head and quietly went into his room. He sat on his bed and stared at the door, a smile lit his face up.

The past week he had struggled to save Vin and had nearly panicked thinking he had let Ezra down in not noticing he was injured to. But then again Ezra was great at the poker face, he had not let on that he was hurt or then again that he was sick until after Vin had been able to walk on his own. Nathan shook his head as he stretched out on is bed. Who would have thought that he an ex-slave would be willing to be friends with a southerner. Nathan nearly laughed thinking about how he nearly hadn't joined them because of the southerner, then again Ezra didn't want to join to protect Nathan.

Then again who would have thought that he would have been working with any of the six men he now called his friends, no better his brothers. Then again for a few minutes six months ago he didn't think he would still be alive till Vin and Chris stopped him from being lynched.

He thought about all of them. So different yet they all searched for the same thing expectance in some form or fashion. And they had found it in one another. Nathan couldn't help but notice the warm feeling that filled his chest to think about it. He had already patched each of them a number of times and it never stopped the worry that came along that he wouldn't be able to help them.

Yet they came to him just the same, with faith and trust. The same faith and trust he put in them to protect him if he needed it. Nathan hadn't had much of a family in his life and it felt nice to have this one. He rolled over onto his side in the morning he would wire a larger city for some new medical books and see if he could get Ezra to help pay for them, who knows he might need them and he might not but he couldn't be to careful. He had a family to protect.


End file.
